It Came Upon a Midmorning Clear
by FrostedDarkfox
Summary: One-Shot, Dom finds a new face to Kel one morning as they visit Queenscove. KelDom


**A/N:** Another dedication, me oh my I'm getting nosy, aren't I? Well, this is dedicated to my Jules for being like a sister to me all the time even if I get all grumpy and don't act like a sister to her myself. And this fic also has to be dedicated to Pheep as well, for staying up until 7am her time to help me beta this. Cheers to you both! 3!

**Dom's POV**

For it being such a big, well renowned castle, Queenscove sure could be boring. Dom crept through the halls looking for something to do in the whole blasted place. It had snowed too hard the night before to even consider stepping foot outside, and Neal and Yuki had snuck off together, in Dom's opinion, to act like lovesick teenagers once more. He had no idea as to where his wife had disappeared to, having lost track of her in one of the many corridors of the keep some time after breakfast. Since then, he had been trying doors and new hallways in hopes of finding either Kel or something else to entertain him.

Finding a fresh hallway to follow, he recognized his bearings and made sure to walk quietly. The nursery for Neal's newborn daughter was at the end of the hall, and Dom, for one, did not want to hear that baby cry again. With her mother's brown eyes, the barest touching of Yamani coloring to her skin and soft henna fuzz beginning to grow on the top of her head his niece was a beauty already, but the _lungs_ on that child made him long for quieter places. The rowdy crowds of the Jugged Hare, perhaps, or the crashing of steel on steel of the battlefields up north; they would do quite nicely in the stead of her screaming.

Dom was surprised when, instead of wailing and screaming as was the norm, he heard a soft tune wafting out of the room to the place where he now stood. Keeping this mode of stealth, he made his way to the slightly open door and peered inside. What met his eyes made him almost melt on the spot. There stood his wife of four months, cradling his small niece in her arms and singing to her in a voice only slightly above a whisper. She was smiling at the bundle, holding her closely, and looking by all appearances like an angel. Dom smiled, this -- _this_, was one of the many reasons she had captured his heart.

Dom cleared his throat loudly, and entered the room. Kel looked up swiftly, and upon recognizing him, smiled warmly. She continued to sing, looking back at the baby now, and Dom remembered the tune as one of the Lioness Ballads. Kel finished with the refrain, mentioning how Alanna would appear at the mere whispering of trouble and 'triumph valiantly o'er evil.'

"You know, if Neal were here, he would doubtlessly mention some of his stories," Dom paused and chuckled for a moment, "of Alanna sleeping well past the call for arms. I think I remember his once writing of having to pour a bucket of ice water on her." Dom crossed the room and eased the child from her arms to his own, moving slowly and being careful not to jostle her in the slightest lest she should wake. "And, my dear, that was hardly a lullaby."

In the absence of the child, Kel crossed her arms and scowled, "Fine then, you try and do better. But if she's going to be a knight someday she's going to need the proper influence." To her surprise, Dom began to hum a few notes, and then glanced at her sideways, with a grin equally as slanted, as the words of her own tales to Scanra unfolded into the melody. Her arms remained crossed, and Kel tapped a foot with impatience until he finished, then informed him, "My dear, that's hardly a lullaby," in a tone that managed to be mocking as well as chiding while her eyes lit up with good humor.

Dom smiled, then made his way back to her side, eager to relinquish the child to her once more. She cooed at the child, then tilted her head and questioned Dom, "I could have sworn that was a new one. It simply stuns me how many of these ridiculous songs about me seem to multiply...especially in between the times I ride with Raoul and your old squad." She gave her husband a knowing look clearly saying, 'Don't try to lie - I will know.'

A wide, goofy, grin stretched upon Dom's face and he pulled his hands behind his back, "Well, you see, Wolset, he never listened to orders, not once while I was in charge. And it could be just like last time, you know, the incident with '_Squire of the Giantkiller, taller than us all, How is she Protector of the Small?_' when I strictly told him to stop making up songs about my wife."

Kel just shook her head, then sighed dramatically at Dom for all of his antics before laying the baby back in her crib. She smiled at the child affectionately, nestling her in and smoothing the blankets unnecessarily. She rested her arm on the side of the crib then watched as the baby girl yawned and moved her head from side to side, finding a place to rest before surrendering to dreams.

Dom noticed that her gaze did not lose any intensity as she watched the child, completely enthralled, interested, and amazed by the literal bundle of joy before her. He sensed something in her attitude, a yearning for a child to care for like Neal and Yuki had; sensed that she had long worn the title of Mother, but now longed to really be one. He came closer to her, and put an arm around her, keeping her close to his own body.

"You know," Dom said, in a hushed, conspiratorial whisper, "I bet we could sneak her out of this place. Neal's not that observant, and last I checked, Yuki was keeping him properly occupied..." he nudged Kel's side with his elbow, "What do you think?"

Kel elbowed him back then rolled her eyes skyward in ways of a prayer. "Dom, no matter how careful we were, I believe they would notice their daughter missing." She leaned her forehead against his and looked into his eyes, "The offer is certainly tempting, though."

"Well," Dom said, quickly stealing a kiss, "it seems that we have two choices ahead of us, my Lady of Masbolle," Dom raised a single finger, "One: we find you another Tobe to care for and treat as our own, or, two:" he raised a second finger to join the first, "we follow my cousin's brilliant example and have one, or two, or a half dozen of our own. Do these sound like suitable options to you?"

Kel smiled so widely at him that he could not resist but to kiss her. He was stopped just before he had the chance, though, by one of Kel's fingers placed over his lips. She closed the distance and brought their foreheads together again before whispering, "Perfectly," and removing the hand from his mouth to bring their lips together in a kiss that neither could resist any longer.

_**El Fin**_

**A/N: And my final parting comment to you shall be: Merry Christmas!**


End file.
